Sealing arrangement for rotary heat exchanger



Sept. 6, 1966 N. D. HAzzARD 3,270,803

SEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR ROTARY HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Deo. 2l, 1961 IN VENTOR.

United Statesv Patent O 3,270,803 SEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR ROTARY HEATEXCHANGER Noel D. Hazzard, Wellsville, NY., assignor, by mesneassignments, to Combustion Engineering, Inc., a stock corporation ofDelaware Filed Dec. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 161,062 S Claims. (Cl. 16S- 9)The present invention relates to rotary regenerative heat exchangeapparatus, and more specically it relates to an improved arrangementadapted to preclude the iloW of lluid between rotary and stationaryparts thereof.

A rotary regenerative heat exchanger has a rotor including a cylindricalshell joined to a rotor post by radial partitions that form compartmentscarrying heat transfer material that is alternately contacted by aheating gas and air or other fluid to be heated. The rotor is surroundedby a rotor housing having end or sector plates formed with openings toprovide passage for the heating gas and air to and from the heattransfer material. To prevent the mingling of the two uids thepartitions forming the rotor compartments are provided with radial sealsand the rotor shell is provided with circumferential sealing surfacesthat cooperate with the stationary parts of the rotor housing topreclude uid ilow therebetween.

This invention lis directed to an improved form of circumferentialsealing arrangement for use in a rotary regenerative heat exchangerwhich will be best understood upon consideration of the followingdetailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention whenread in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional elevation in diagrammatic form of a rotaryregenerative heat exchanger embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section showing therelationship between the sealing members and the relatively rotatab-lemembers, and

FIGURE 3 is a top view as seen from line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

In the drawings the numeral designates the cylindrical shell of a rotordivided into sector-shaped cornpartments by radial partitions 12 whichare connected to a central rotor post 14 having a trunnion 15 that isrotated about its axis by a motor and reduction gearing arrangementshown diagrammatically at 16. The rotor compartments containregenerative heat transfer material in the form of closely spacedmetallic plates 18 which rst absorb heat from the heating fluid enteringthe heat exchanger through a duct 22 from a boiler `or other source tobe discharged, after passing over the heat transfer material 18, throughan outlet duct 24 to which an induced draft fan (not illustrated) isusually connected. As the rotor is turned slowly about its axis theheated plates 18 are moved into the stream of air or other fluid to beheated which is admitted through a duct 26. After passing over theplates 18 and absorbing heat therefrom, the stream yof air `or otherlluid is directed to a boiler furnace or other place of use through anoutlet duct 28.

A housing 32 encloses the rotor 10 and is provided at opposite ends withend plates which include a diametral member 38 extending across anannular rim 42 to form a pair of spaced apertures that direct theheating iluid and the fluid to be heated to and from the heat exchangematerial carried by the rotor. The annular rim 42 comprises essentiallya circumferential sealing means that precludes fluid flow through theannular space which surrounds the rotor, while the diametral member 38lies in sealing relation with the end edges of the radial partitions 12to preclude fluid flow between spaced apertures.

The diametral member 38 is ported centrally at 40 to receive thetrunnion 15 and is secured by bolting or by welding to the supportllange 48. The rim 42 is secured continuously to an vimperforate flange52 of .an annular member that includes a cylindrical flange 54 whoseoverall diameter is somewhat less than that of the rotor housing 32.

The cylindrical llange 54 is adapted to extend downward into the spacebetween sides of an annular channel 55 that is carried by the rotorhousing 32. The entire rim 42 together with the annular member 52-54 isadjustably supported by a series of arcuately spaced adjusting means S6that bear on ilanges 50 at their respective ends of the housing. Thesemeans 56 permit axial movement of the rim 42 to .an optimum sealingrelationship with adjacent flange 46 carried by the end edge of therotor shell 10.

Into each lof the channels 55 at the upper and lower ends of the housingis poured a molten material 58 selected for its ability to remain in asolid state below certain predetermined temperatures that lies withinthe normal temperature range of heating fluid. As the material 58 coolsits solidifies to encase the vertical flange 54 submerged therein in animperforate casting that absolutely precludes the leakage of fluidtherethrough.

The material 58 is preferably selected to have a melting point onlyslight-ly higher (for example 50 F.) than the temperature of the heatingfluid leaving the housing through the duct 28, such a temperature beingsuiciently high that the material 58 will remain in its solid formduring the time the heat exchanger is operated within its predeterminedtemperature range, and in its solid form it will hold the flange 54 rmlyin a predetermined position. As an example, lead which has a meltingpoint of 621 F. would be a satisfactory material 58 for use in heatexchangers designed to operate at temperatures under the melting pointof lead.

Embedded in the material 58 or otherwise carried by the channel 54 inthe manner shown in FIGURE 2 is a heating means such as resistance coil62 which when energized heats the material 58 suflicient to reduce it toa liquid mass in order that the ange 52-54 embedded therein may be movedaxially as desired by means 56. As the ange 52-54 is moved axially itcarries with it the annular rim 42 which may thus be moved into anoptimum sealing relationship with the end edge of the rotor 46.

After the annular rim 42 has been adjusted axially to the desiredrelationship with the end edge -of the rotor 46, the heating means isde-energized to permit the molten material to cool and solidify and thuslock the flange 54 in its predetermined position until `such time asfurther adjustment is made necessary.

While the invention has been described with reference to the embodimentillustrated in the drawing, it is evident that various changes may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notina limiting sense.

I claim:

1. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus having a rotor includinga cylindrical rotor shell and a central rotor post spaced .apart to forma compartment therebetween, a mass of heat absorbent material carried insaid compartment, a housing surrounding said rotor in spaced relation toprovide an annular space therebetween, apertured end plates at oppositeends of said housing adapted to direct a heating fluid and a lluid to beheated through spaced portions of the rotor, said end plates comprisingan annular rim aligned with the end of the rotor and 2. Rotaryregenerative heat exchange apparatus hav.

ing a rotor including a cylindrical rotor shell and a central rotor postspaced apart to form a compartment therebetween that carries a mass ofheat absorbent material, a housing surrounding said rotor in spacedrelation to provide an annular space therebetween, means at theend ofsaid housing adapted to direct a heating fluid and a fluid to be heatedthrough the heat absorbent material carried by the rotor, said meanscomprising an annular rim axially aligned with each end of Said rotorand formed with a diametral portion that provides spaced apertures forthe ow `of said fluids, an upright annular channel means positioned inthe annular space adjacent spaced ends of the rotor, an annular tlangecarried by each annular rim adapted to extend into the space betweensides of said channel means, means carried by said housing adapted toadjust the annular rim axially with respect to the end `of said rotor, amass of meltable material having a melting point in excess of thetemperature of said heating tluid carried by said channel adapted toremain solid vat normal operating temperature and solidly encase the endof said annular flange to preclude the flow of uid thereby.

3. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as dened in claim 2including heating means adjacent said annular channel adapted to reducesaid meltable material to a liquid form whereby the annular rim may bemoved axially with respect to the end -of said rotor shell.

4. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as de- 4 l ned in claim 2wherein the melting temperature of the meltable material liesintermediate the inlet and outlet temperature of the heating uid.

5. Sealing means adapted to preclude the ow of uid through the annularspace between a cylindrical rotor and a xed concentric rotor shellspaced therefrom to provide an annular spacing therebetween, saidsealing means comprising an annular sealing member adapted to be held ina closely spaced relation with said cylindrical rotor, an uprightchannel means carried by said housing in said annular spacing, anannular ange extending from said annular sealing member into the spacebetween sides of said channel means, a meltable material carried in saidchannel means adapted to solidly encase the end of said annular flangeand hold it in a predetermined position that precludes its rotation withthe rotor, heating means for reducing the meltable material and reducingit to a liquid state, and means for adjustably moving said an nularsealing member when the meltable material has been reduced to a liquidstate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,099,722 11/1937 Byers 277-28 2,294,214 8/ 1942 Seinfeld 165-9 2,761,654 9/1956Valvo 165-9 2,911,202 11/ 1959 Trewiler 16S-9 3,010,704 11/1961 Egbert16S-9 3,024,005 3/ 1962 Dore et al 16S-9 3,108,632 10/1963 Jensen et al.16S-9 FOREIGN PATENTS 749,549 5 195 6 Great Britain.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner.

T. W. STREULE, Assistant Examiner.

1. ROTARY REGENERATIVE HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS HAVING A ROTOR INCLUDINGA CYLINDRICAL ROTOR SHELL AND A CENTRAL ROTOR POST SPACED APART TO FORMA COMPARTMENT THEREBETWEEN, A MASS OF HEAT ABSORBENT MATERIAL CARRIED INSAID COMPARTMENT, A HOUSING SURROUNDING SAID ROTOR IN SPACED RELATION TOPROVIDE AN ANNULAR SPACE THEREBETWEEN, APERTURED END PLATES AT OPPOSITEENDS OF SAID HOUSING ADAPTED TO DIRECTED A HEATING FLUID AND A FLUID TOBE HEATED THROUGH SPACED PORTIONS OF THE ROTOR, SAID END PLATESCOMPRISING AN ANNULAR RIM ALIGNED WITH THE END OF THE ROTOR AND FORMEDWITH A DIAMETRAL PORTION THAT PROVIDES SPACED APERTURES FOR THE FLOW OFSAID FLUIDS, AN UPRIGHT ANNULAR CHANNEL POSITIONED IN THE ANNULAR SPACEADJACENT AN END OF THE ROTOR, AN ANNULAR FLANGE CARRIED BY SAID ANNULARRIM ADAPTED TO EXTEND INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SIDES OF SAID CHANNELMEMBER, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAID RIM AXIALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE END OFTHE ROTOR, AND A MASS OF MELTABLE MATERIAL CARRIED IN SAID CHANNELSOLIDLY ENCASING THE END OF THE ANNULAR FLANGE POSITIONED THEREIN.